The Hindu : New Delhi News : Move to strengthen science education and research

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 03, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Move to strengthen science education and research

With a lot of emphasis being laid on promotion of science research in the country, a change may well be round the corner with the formulation of a University Grants Commission (UGC) scheme now under way.

Aimed at strengthening science education and research, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development had recently approved an action plan for promoting research in basic science in universities across the country. Based on the recommendations of a high-power expert committee, the Ministry entrusted the UGC with the job of implementing the recommendations.

The UGC has now called for opinions from the academic circle on the changes it proposes to bring about from the coming year. From starting a five-year integrated M.Sc. programme in select Central and State universities in different areas of science to creating 1,000 positions of research scientists at the levels of lecturer, reader and professor, the expert committee has also recommended that the system of winter and summer schools be supported.

The committee has said that the number of Ph.D.s from Indian universities should increase fivefold within a span of ten years with proper standards. It also said an empowered autonomous body headed by an eminent scientist/academician with an advisory board comprising scientists and engineers be set up by the UGC for implementing the proposed initiatives. The committee has also asked the Ministry to provide a grant of Rs. 600 crores for implementation of the recommendations.

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For most colleges and other academic institutions, Diwali-eve may be a time to celebrate the holidays, but giving its students a lesson in marketing the fun way once again was the Management and Development Institute, Gurgaon, which hosted its annual Diwali Mela, `Illumina', on the campus on October 30.

A marketing festival that is celebrated in the form of a Diwali mela, the MDI event saw sponsorship come from corporate bigwigs like Philips, Hindustan Lever and IFFCO TOKIO and had hundreds of students taking part. With the games designed on the lines of various popular serials and Hindi movies such as "Salaam Namaste'', "Star Parivar'' and "Filmi Ishtyle'', MDI students conducted a market research for their sponsors without making the public aware of it. The data collected by the students during the fest will help companies in brand positioning of various products.

Established in 1973 with the support of Industrial Finance Corporation of India, MDI has completed 30 years of academic excellence as an institute for the training of practicing managers.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) may have had its share of problems and controversies in recent months, but that did not stop its students from extending support to those affected by the recent earthquake in Kashmir.

A 28-member AMU team led by the president of the AMU Students' Union, Malik Fazal-e-Rab, went to Kashmir after the quakes. Comprising 15 doctors and 13 student volunteers of the university, an aid camp was set up at Isham with help from 14 local NGOs.

According to the team, there is lack of coordination and uneven distribution of relief between the government agencies and the NGOs. "The magnitude of the destruction is such that it is high time to shun politics and work together to provide shelter and aid to the survivors immediately, otherwise

they would die," says Syed Ehteshamul Haq, a student of AMU.

While noting that the decision to go to Uri had been made after the students came to know that relief and rehabilitation had not yet started in the area, the AMU students cancelled their Sir Syed Dinner organised and donated Rs. 15 Lakhs for buying medicine and food.

"It is our moral and religious duty to help the affected people at a time when the Government has turned a blind eye towards them," said Malik Fazal-e-Rab, vice-president of the Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union.

— Lakshmi B. Ghosh

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